Treatment of hydrocarbon oils.



\ To all whom it mdyconc'em: l

- UNITED STATES A ENT OFFICE.

a ARTHUR L. BROWN, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MIANU"FACYJTUIRIN G COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

No Drawing.

Be it known thatI, L. BRowN, a

citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county .of- Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have. invented a new and useful Improvement in Treatment of Hydrocarbon Oils, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to the treatment of hydrocarbbn oils, particularly. to the treat- 'ment of mineral oils composed mainly of sired result.

hydrocarbons of the parafin series, and it has for its object toprovide a method of retarding or entirely preventing the formation of sedimentin such oils. 7

When hydrocarbon oils are exposed to the air, they slowly develop a dark sediment or sludge which appears toresult from a slight oxidation. of the oil. When such oils are used for cooling purposes, as in the tanks of electric transformers, theQsediment may aecumulate upon the walls'of, the container and cooling coils to such ail-extent as to phous or red phosphorus, and only a small fraction of one .per' cent. of the Weight of the oil is necessaryto accomplish'the de- The phosphorus may be mixed with -the oil, or it may be made into a paste with'glue Or other suitable binder and painted upon the inner walls of the containers that are to receive the oil. The oil appears to havelittle or no solventefiect onthe phosphorus, although it is posible that small amounts of liquid resinous compounds are formed... a

I have found that the present process I gives good results inthel treatment of the cooling oils known as transformer oils, which are somewhat similar to kerosene but are somewhat heavier and have higher flashing points. In the treatment of such oils I -find it sufiicient to employ the red phosphorus in the proportion from 0.1% to greatly interfere with the dissipation of, h

its weight of red'phosphorus. 5. The method of preventing the forma}.

Specification of Letters Patent.- Patented July 31, 1917. Application iiled August 6, 1915. Serial No. 43,993. I i

0.2% of the weight of the oil. I have found that transformer oil treated with red phosphorus in the above proportions [may be exposed, in an uncovered'vessel, to a temperature of 100 C. for several weeks without the formation of sludge and with only a slight darkening of the oil. 'Untreated oil, -under the same conditions, darkens in a few days to such an extent that it is no longer transparent and is nearly black in color. 7 r

. My invention is neither restricted tothe treatment of any particular class of hydrocomprises adding red phosphorus thereto.

4. The methodof preventing the formation ofsedimentinv hydrocarbon oil that such 'oil with red phoscomprises adding thereto not over 0.2% of tion of sediment in by rocarbon oil that comprises adding thereto froml0.1%to 0.2% p

of its weight of red phosphorus.

6. The method of preventing. the formation of sediment in hydrocarbon; oil that comprises placing the oil in contact. with a surface provided with a coating containing free phosphorus. v 7. The method'ofpreventing the'formacomprises placing the oil in contact witha red phosphorus and a binde In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22ndday of July,

. ARTHUR L. Brown.

.90 I tion of sediment in hydrocarbon oil -that. 

